FIFA President Sepp Blatter said there are only 136,000 unsold tickets (or 4 percent of the 2.8 million that went on sale) and is confident that despite earlier concerns about slow ticket sales -- 500,000 tickets were unsold by April 15 -- all World Cup stadiums in South Africa will be full.

"Let us have the reality: When you are in South Africa, you will see how packed the stadiums are. We have no doubts,” Blatter said. The surge in ticket sales came after the initiation of over-the-counter sales to South Africans. About 40 of the 64 World Cup games are now sold out.

Foreign ticket sales have been disappointing and fewer than 350,000 people are expected to travel to Africa’s first World Cup, down from initial estimates of 450,000.